How To Make Corn Chowder

This guest post from Skinnytaste dietitian Heather K. Jones is a tasty recipe that the whole family will devour! Hello, I’m excited to guest post here on Skinnytaste again (thanks, Gina!), and I’m also excited to invite you to my FREE 31-day Master the Weight Loss Mindset Challenge. You’ll find out how to shift from self-sabotage and worry to inspired and good-for-you action, and you’ll set yourself up for long-term success in 2019!

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When Ina Garten’s The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook was released many years ago, I was obsessed. The Cheddar Corn Chowder was one my favorite recipes, but with ½ stick of butter, ½ pound of cheddar cheese and bacon, and 2 cups of half and half, it was far from healthy and light (ha).

But after trying Gina’s delicious Cheeseburger Soup, thickened with blended cauliflower, I decided to try and lighten up Ina’s chowder the same way, and holy cow… this MUCH lighter version tastes just as good as the original! It’s considerably lower in calories and fat, but trust me, you’ll never notice. Enjoy!

Cheddar Corn Chowder with Bacon

This thick and cheesy chowder with potatoes, corn, cauliflower, and bacon is perfect for cold and cozy winter nights.

Ingredients

6strips center-cut bacon, chopped

2small yellow onions, chopped

2large garlic cloves, minced

2tablespoonsall-purpose, or gluten free flour

¼teaspoonturmeric

1teaspoonfresh thyme leaves

1 ½teaspoonskosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 ½cupslow sodium chicken broth

2small Yukon gold potatoes, diced

112-ounce wedge cauliflower, stem intact

1poundfrozen corn kernels

1cupwhole milk

4ouncesshredded white sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

Stove top directions

Place bacon in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot and sauté over medium heat, until cooked and crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.

With the pot still over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions, add turmeric, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly.

Add the broth, potatoes and cauliflower and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the pot (this releases the caramelized bits on the bottom). Bring the pot to a boil then decrease to simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 4 ounces (about 2/3 cup) of the corn with a splash of water in a small microwave safe-dish until just defrosted, about 1 minute.

Remove the lid from pot and transfer the cauliflower, 1 cup of the soup and warmed corn to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer puree back to the pot.

Add the remainder of the frozen corn, the milk and cheese. Mix then simmer for 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and soup is heated through. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary. Serve topped with reserved bacon pieces.

Instant Pot directions

Press the sauté button on an electric pressure cooker. Add the bacon and sauté until cooked and crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.

In the pressure cooker (still on sauté), add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions, add turmeric, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly.

Add the broth, potatoes and cauliflower and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the pot (this releases the caramelized bits on the bottom).

Seal and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Quick release, then open when the pressure subsides.

Meanwhile, heat the corn with 2 tablespoons of water in microwave safe-dish until just heated through, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the cauliflower, 1 cup of the soup and 2/3 cup warmed corn to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer puree back to the pot and stir well.

Add the remainder of corn, milk and cheese. Mix then cover for 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and soup is heated through. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary. Serve topped with reserved bacon pieces.

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This was amazing! It was very filling, and I still can’t believe it’s not bad for me. It was THAT good. It reheated well all week for lunch. I added hot sauce and cayenne pepper because I like the spice.

THANK YOU, GINA!! This is the kind of soup I have avoided for a long time! I love creamy soups, but they are usually not the healthiest option, so I’ve trained myself to always pick the broth-based soups, both for recipes and also when I order out. It was wonderful to not feel guilty about eating this very creamy soup. This recipe is definitely a keeper!!

This was so good! I used to be in the “cauliflower isn’t blah blah lab camp” but this is the second traditionally potato based soup I have made with cauliflower and it is delicious! I will definitely make this one again… but with more bacon!

I love your recipes Gina! They help me stay on track to eat healthy and my family is always more likely to eat it without complaining about it being healthy!

I made this tonight and it was delicious. Only thing I changed was using 2% milk because that is what I had on hand. Perfect for a cold night. It will great for the coming snow tomorrow too! It is very filling. My friend, who is rather picky, even commented, twice, how good it was. I may try adding extra potatoes next time.

Made this tonight and am a newbie to WW. If we use turkey bacon, fat free milk and 2% cheese im assuming the points will decrease. Any idea what the new value or what the servings per recipe are so I can calculate on my own?

Another hit. So delicious and hearty. I made this on the stove, but after I realized that there were directions for making in the IP. Oh, well next time. I cannot believe it’s made with cauliflower. Yum! Thanks for all the fantastic, healthy, tasty and most of all easy recipes.

This is a really great soup. Most creamy soups don’t taste good in the lighter, healthy version, but this one is hearty and delicious. I like a little heat in mine so I added hot sauce and red pepper flakes. YUM!

This. Was. SO. GOOD!!! I am a teacher and my daughter and I had the day off due to a snow day. This hit the spot! It was hearty, creamy, rich, delicious, and SO cozy on this snowy day. Yet another hit! Thank you and keep them coming!

Hi Gina, this sounds so delish! I was wondering about the points value though. I tried it with the ww recipe builder and with the nutritional values you listed in the recipe and I get 9 points each time. Wondering if I’m missing something? Thanks for all the yummy recipes!

Perfect for a an unusually cold and rainy night in Florida! I used a 50% less fat cheddar block cheese that I shredded since I need to lower my cholesterol level.. Thank You so much for another wonderful recipe 😉

This was so incredibly good, hearty and easy to make. I used a bag of frozen cauliflower – steamed it in the microwave and added some corn and a cup of the soup to it for the purée. Otherwise I followed the directions. We’ll be having this again for sure.

Welcome!

Hi, I’m Gina Homolka, a busy mom of two girls, author and recipe developer here at Skinnytaste.com. My food philosophy is to eat seasonal, whole foods and maintain good portion control (everything in moderation!).